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Updated 28 Feb 2011, 10am - with an updated model from CIEST.
Experts in France have have performed analysis and modelling of satellite images to analyse the location of the fault line for the February 21 Earthquake in Christchurch.
Using a technique called Interferometry
on PALSAR images of the Canterbury area, scientists have produced a preliminary model of the fault line and depth, to check consistency with seismic data.
Learn more about how Radar Interferometry works for analysing earthquakes.
"This work is preliminary. The results presented here are meant to evolve in the next hours and days as new data are acquired, and need validation from other techniques as well as advice from the New Zealand scientific geophysical community. For this aim, we (the Ciest group) are in contact with the GNS goup lead by Dr John Beavan. All official scientific communications about the earthquake will be issued by the Scientific Authorities of New Zealand." - Ciest Group.
KiwiSpace will publish updates here as they become available.
Google Earth View, showing inferred Fault location and the interferogram
Updated 28 Feb 2011, 10am - with an updated model from CIEST.
Click image for a larger view or View in Google Earth
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The Google earth view of the actual fault line has been removed, pending an updated model
Information source
Updated 28 Feb 2011, 10am - with an updated model from CIEST.
The work has been performed by the French Cellule d'Intervention Scientifique et Technique (CIEST) through the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters; Data courtesy of JAXA and CNES, data (c) JAXA, METI.
For contacts: Marcello de Michele (m.demichele@brgm.fr) and Pierre Briole (pierre.briole@ens.fr)
Click image for a larger view.
In this updated model, the fault does not reach surface, but ends at 2km beneath the surface.
- Fault length: 8km
- Fault width: 8km
- Slip: 1.63m
- Geodetic moment tensor 3.13 10^18 Nm
(60% higher than the moment tensor from the CMT Harvard)- Fault strike 65 degrees
- Fault dip 65 degrees
- Rake 135 degrees
We'd like to thank Marcello de Michele for assistance with keeping this page updated. We will update this page with more information when it becomes available.
See our other Articles on the Christchurch Earthquake
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